L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Leland Exton Modesitt, Jr.
Modesitt at CONduit 17 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Born	October 19, 1943 (1943-10-19) (age 66) Denver, Colorado
Occupation	consultant, writer, poet
Nationality	U.S.
Genres	Fantasy, Science fiction
Official website

L. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. (b. 1943 in Denver, Colorado) is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.

He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence. ^[1]

In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.

Recurring themes, technologies, and organizations

• Ethical questions such as "What is more ethical? Standing by and letting a war that will kill millions or billions happen? Or killing thousands or millions in an effort to prevent that war?"
• Earth is destroyed or nearly destroyed by ecological disaster
• The I.S.S. spy service mentioned in many of his series
• The Galactic Empire
• The Galactic Empire is overthrown or thwarted by ecologists
• Music has power
• Flitters, aircraft that can hover and achieve low space orbit
• Nanotechnology
• Time travel
• Immortality
• Internalized information networks
• Imbalance leads to destruction and is a perversion of nature
• Gods are real but only because they have higher levels of technology
• War is bad but necessary
• Misuse of technology will lead to man's downfall
• Mormons
• Galactic War
• Struggles between Chaos and Order
• Shortening or slurring of the names of present day cities, countries and ethnic groups
• Different spellings of common personal names
• Many characters are university teachers and/or retired military personnel.
• Frequently drops hints that many of his books (even those from apparently different series) are actually connected into the same universe.

Novels

Timegod's World

Drawing on Norse legend, these books follow the story of the time-traveling Immortals of Query, and their two greatest heroes - who both save and doom their people

• The Fires of Paratime (1982)
• Timediver's Dawn (1992)
• The Timegod (1993) (republication of The Fires of Paratime)
• Timegod's World (2001) Omnibus. Review

The Forever Hero

In the far future, when Earth is a devastated ruin, an immortal is born, wishes one great wish, and takes on a great task

• Dawn for a Distant Earth (1987)
• The Silent Warrior (1987)
• In Endless Twilight (1988)
• The Forever Hero (2000) Omnibus, combines above three books

The Ecolitan Institute novels (internal chronological order)

• The Ecolitan Operation (1989)
• The Ecologic Secession (1990)
• Empire & Ecolitan (2001) Omnibus of the above.
• The Ecologic Envoy (1986)
• The Ecolitan Enigma (1997)
• Ecolitan Prime (2003) Omnibus of the above.

The Saga of Recluce

• The Magic of Recluce (1991)
• The Towers of Sunset (1992)
• The Magic Engineer (1994)
• The Order War (1995)
• The Death of Chaos (1995)
• Fall of Angels (1996)
• The Chaos Balance (1997)
• The White Order (1998)
• Colors of Chaos (1999)
• Magi'i of Cyador (2001)
• Scion of Cyador (2001)
• Wellspring of Chaos (2004)
• Ordermaster (2005)
• Natural Ordermage (2007)
• Mage-Guard of Hamor (2008)
• Arms-Commander (January 2010)

Ghost Novels

SF/spy stories, set in an alternate world

• Of Tangible Ghosts (1994).
• The Ghost of the Revelator (1998).
• Ghost of the White Nights (2001).
• Ghosts of Columbia (2005) Omnibus, combining Of Tangible Ghosts and The Ghost of the Revelator

Parafaith Universe

• The Parafaith War (1996)
• The Ethos Effect (2003)

Spellsong Cycle

Set in the world of Erde, where song has magical power - and exacts a terrible price

• The Soprano Sorceress (1997)
• The Spellsong War (1998)
• Darksong Rising (1999)
• The Shadow Sorceress (2001)
• Shadowsinger (2002)

Archform

• Archform: Beauty (2000)
• Flash (2004)

The Corean Chronicles

Set on the world of Corus (or Acorus), where strange and dangerous beasts roam and people with magical Talent can perform astonishing feats

• Legacies (2002)
• Darknesses (2003)
• Scepters (2004)
• Alector's Choice (2005)
• Cadmian's Choice (2006)
• Soarer's Choice (2006)
• The Lord-Protector's Daughter (2008)
• Lady-Protector (2011) (This according to the Q&A section of his official site)

The Imager Portfolio

The Imager Portfolio is set on the world of Terahnar, where a small number of people are imagers, who have the power to create objects through visualization; if uncontrolled, imaging can lead to the death of the imager.

• Imager (2009)
• Imager's Challenge (2009)
• Imager's Intrigue (July 2010)

Non-Series Science Fiction

• The Hammer of Darkness (1985)
• Adiamante (1996). Review
• Gravity Dreams (2000)
• The Octagonal Raven (2001)
• The Eternity Artifact (2005)
• The Elysium Commission (2007) . Review
• Haze (2009)

Collaborations

• The Green Progression (with Bruce Scott Levinson) (1992)

Short Fiction

• The Great American Economy (1973) Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact, May 1973
• A House by Any Other Name (1974) Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, November 1974
• Came the Revolution (1977) Galaxy Science Fiction, September 1977
• Iron Man, Plastic Ships (1979) Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Oct 1979
• Power to ...? (1990) Analog Science Fiction and Fact, November 1990
• Reaction Time (1978) Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, January 1978
• Rule of Law (1981) Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, April 27, 1981
• Second Coming (1979) Asimov's SF Adventure Magazine, Spring 1979
• Understanding (2000) On Spec, Summer 2000
• Viewpoint Critical (1978) Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, July 1978
• Precision Set (2001) On Spec Spring 2001
• The Pilots (2002) In the Shadow of the Wall: Vietnam Stories that Might Have Been (ed. Byron R. Tetrick)
• Dock to Heaven (2003) Low Port (ed. Sharon Lee & Steve Miller)
• The Swan Pilot (2004) Emerald Magic: Great Tales of Irish Fantasy (ed. Andrew M. Greeley)
• Fallen Angel (2004) Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy (ed. Al Sarrantonio)

References

External links

• Recluce, The Official L. E. Modesitt, Jr. Fan Site (Formerly Recluce, The Official Modesitt Website)
• L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - Official Website
• L. E. Modesitt, Jr. at Tor Books
• Official forum at IBDoF
• Interview with L. E. Modesitt, Jr. at SFFWorld.com
• The Worlds of L.E.Modesitt